Characterization of Polyethylene-Graft-Sulfonated Polyarylsulfone Proton Exchange Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Applications
نویسندگان
چکیده
This paper examines polymer film morphology and several important properties of polyethylene-graft-sulfonated polyarylene ether sulfone (PE-g-s-PAES) proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for direct methanol fuel cell applications. Due to the extreme surface energy differences between a semi-crystalline and hydrophobic PE backbone and several amorphous and hydrophilic s-PAES side chains, the PE-g-s-PAES membrane self-assembles into a unique morphology, with many proton conductive s-PAES channels embedded in the stable and tough PE matrix and a thin hydrophobic PE layer spontaneously formed on the membrane surfaces. In the bulk, these membranes show good mechanical properties (tensile strength >30 MPa, Young's modulus >1400 MPa) and low water swelling (λ < 15) even with high IEC >3 mmol/g in the s-PAES domains. On the surface, the thin hydrophobic and semi-crystalline PE layer shows some unusual barrier (protective) properties. In addition to exhibiting higher through-plane conductivity (up to 160 mS/cm) than in-plane conductivity, the PE surface layer minimizes methanol cross-over from anode to cathode with reduced fuel loss, and stops the HO• and HO₂• radicals, originally formed at the anode, entering into PEM matrix. Evidently, the thin PE surface layer provides a highly desirable protecting layer for PEMs to reduce fuel loss and increase chemical stability. Overall, the newly developed PE-g-s-PAES membranes offer a desirable set of PEM properties, including conductivity, selectivity, mechanical strength, stability, and cost-effectiveness for direct methanol fuel cell applications.
منابع مشابه
Fabrication and Characterization of a Conductive Proton Exchange Membrane Based on Sulfonated Polystyrenedivinylbenzene Resin-Polyethylene (SPSDR-PE): Application in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
A novel proton exchange membrane has been prepared using sulfonated poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) resin(SPSDR)–polyethylene(PE). The membrane is characterized by FT-IR, SEM and TGA/DSC. Water uptake, oxidative resistance, ionic conductivity and methanol permeability are measured to evaluate its performance in a direct methanol fuel cell. The on-set degradation temp...
متن کاملSynthesis of Sulfonated Polystyrene/acrylate–ionic Liquid (Si-SPS/A–IL) Hybrid Membranes for Methanol Fuel Cells
In this paper, the silicon-containing sulfonated polystyrene/acrylate–ionic liquid (Si-SPS/A–IL)hybrid membranes was prepared to obtain the proton exchange membrane (PEM) materials withhigh methanol barrier and good selectivity. The Si-SPS/A–IL hybrid membranes characterized asthe function of IL to evaluate their potential as PEMs in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs).Fourdifferent Hybrid mater...
متن کاملFunctionalized and Electrospun Polymeric Materials as High-Performance Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell: A Review
Proton exchange membranes (PEM) for a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) have main drawbacks which are methanol permeability, reduced proton conductivity and the cost of the membrane. This paper reviews different polymeric materials such as fluorinated, non-fluorinated, acid-base complex, and composite membranes for DMFC. Currently, nonfluorinated membranes gain a lot of atte...
متن کاملMethanol crossover and selectivity of nafion/heteropolyacid/montmorillonite nanocomposite proton exchange membranes for DMFC applications
In this work, we prepared the nafion/montmorillonite/heteropolyacid nanocomposite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The analyses such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were conducted to characterize the filler dispersion and membrane structure in prepared nanocomposite membranes. XRD patterns of nafion-CsPW-MMT ...
متن کاملStudies on the SPEEK membrane with low degree of sulfonation as a stable proton exchange membrane for fuel cell applications
Sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) with a low degree of sulfonation (DS = 40%) was prepared for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). Poly (ether ether ketone) (PEEK) was sulfonated in concentrated H2SO4 under N2 atmosphere and characterized by the hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) technique. After preparation of the SPEEK polymer, the obtained polymer was dissolved i...
متن کامل